This Letter C is also the third part of a story. It just happened that way and it's not really going to be a continuing story but more of an exercise to write about the experience.
If you want to read the letter B first, you can find it here.
Intermission?
The word was not quite appropriate for what the three of us
encountered when we entered the old stable converted to fellowship hall.
It should have been called a ‘crush’.
I can honestly say I’ve never, ever, ever experienced
anything like it before.
Mr. Jenny led the way in through the open door and the three of us stopped.
Literally.
The entire space was packed with Irish folk crushed together
and talking loudly.
It was a roar in the large stone room.
The roar wasn’t the amazing thing, though.
The amazing thing was the fact that almost every single
person was holding a cup and saucer and drinking tea…
…and no-one was getting scalded.
Mr. Jenny started to wriggle his way to the left where the
boozy refreshments were…
The middle Grandlittle started to wriggle her way forward to
where the sweets table was…
…and I started to wriggle my way to the right and the very
long tea table.
Men walked through the crowd with round trays held above
their head laden with steaming cups of tea.
People crushed together with barely a half inch between them
laughed and talked and drank tea and spirits.
On the way to the tea table…
I talked to the lovely vocalist who said she had noticed I
was moved by the music.
I talked to several wool clad women with a raffle table set
up.
I talked to my wide-eyed Grandlittle who wriggled easily
through the crowd and who was astonished and happy at the greedy array of
sweets.
I talked to Anne who hugged me vigorously. I saw her mouth moving but I couldn’t
understand a word she said over the cacophony of Irish voices raised around me.
I talked to several of the men serving up steaming cups and
saucers.
I talked to several more wool clad women who explained the
merits of various pots of tea…I admit to not understanding anything they said.
I talked to my Grandlittle who came back to drag me to the
sweets table. I suspect my eyes were as
wide as hers as I saw the home-baked, home-canned, home-made array on display.
Mr. Jenny and I finally made our way back together when Anne
announced from the doorway, “Intermission is over!”
The crush of people evaporated, almost literally, as the
crowd magically departed to return to the church.
The three of us looked at each other in astonishment and
then followed.
This little part of our Irish travel story is linked to the letter C. C is for crush. To read other C offerings, just click here.
11 comments:
Such an amazing story Jenny and I'm glad your telling it in parts! So happy to see you writing again.
hugs,
Linda
PS I have a new Grandbaby coming in April and it's a GIRL!!
I do love tea time too! :-)
Hi Jenny!
That was a great story. It sounds like those folks really took their intermissions seriously.
You have such a powerful way with words Jenny - I feel like I was there in that crush, sipping tea with you :-)
OMG! What an experience! Memorable. Maybe that where you picked up the germ bug--in those close quarters--LOL! ;)
We do drik a lot of tea- my cups are generally less than scalding though!
Loved reading of your experience...Glad you got to share it with your family then with all of us♪
You and your middle grandchild seem to have a special relationship. Growing up, my mother's parents were my most favourite people. Your granddaughter is lucky to have you.
You and your middle grandchild seem to have a special relationship. Growing up, my mother's parents were my most favourite people. Your granddaughter is lucky to have you.
What an experience!!!! Like being in a foreign land?? HA HA. I hope you're feeling better my friend.
XOXOXOXO
Such a beautiful and magical story you tell Jenny.
Post a Comment